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FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 19: Small Business Programs › Subpart 19.3

FAR 19.305 Reviews of SDB status.

The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.

In plain English

This section explains how the SBA can review whether a firm truly qualifies as a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB). It matters because if the SBA questions your SDB status, it can review your firm, and a subcontractor SDB review is not the same as a formal size protest.

Applies to: Firms that have represented themselves as SDBs on a prime contract or subcontract

Key terms: SDB status · SBA · prime contractor · subcontractor · formal protest

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

This section applies to reviews of a small business concern's SDB status as a prime contractor or subcontractor.

(a) SBA may initiate the review of SDB status on any firm that has represented itself to be an SDB on a prime contract or subcontract to a Federal prime contract whenever it receives credible information calling into question the SDB status of the firm.

(b) Requests for an SBA review of SDB status may be forwarded to the Small Business Administration, Associate Administrator for Business Development (AA/BD), 409 Third Street SW., Washington, DC 20416.

(c) An SBA review of a subcontractor's SDB status differs from a formal protest. Protests of a concern's size as a prime contractor are processed under 19.302. Protests of a concern's size as a subcontractor are processed under 19.703(b).

Sections it refers to

  • 19.302 Protesting a small business representation or rerepresentation.
  • 19.703 Eligibility requirements for participating in the program.

Sections that refer to it

← 19.304 Small disadvantaged business status. · 19.306 Protesting a firm's status as a HUBZone small business concern. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 19

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

FAR 19.305 Reviews of SDB status · SpendQuery